Oktoberfest is making its way back to Hot Springs as a benefit event for the United Way of the Ouachitas.
After over 30 years, Arkansas Oktoberfest fizzled out, but the United Way of the Ouachitas hopes to rekindle the event into something the Spa City can be proud of once again.
"The event completely, 100% benefits United Way," Brandon Scott, who co-chairs the organization's committee for the event with Jennifer Bailey, said. "The United Way has a golf tournament and a couple other things, but we really don't have that signature event that a lot of other organizations have. We were talking, and we thought, 'Hey, Oktoberfest hasn't happened in several years, let's bring it back.' Little did we know we were really going to bring it back."
Steinhaus Keller is the presenting sponsor for the first of what Scott hopes to be at least a three-year event.
"It's a beer festival, so it's a little different than in the past," he said. "But we've had a ton of response. Community leaders are behind it. We're just really excited about it. So it's gonna be a good time."
Scott, who is also a manager at The Big Chill, said he was starting to feel burned out after seven years with the organization.
"I was like, 'What can bring me back into it and get me excited again?'" he said. "And I thought, 'Oktoberfest. That's it. That's what we do.' And then Jennifer Bailey ... she's like, 'I'm in,' and so we've just tackled it. We've got a great committee that's been working on it."
Spa City Oktoberfest is set for Saturday from 6-10 p.m. at the Exchange Street Parking Plaza, 128 Exchange St.
"We have VIP passes available, that'll get you in at 5 (p.m.), so you get that extra hour of tasting a couple more Oktoberfest beers, which we have about two dozen different Oktoberfest beers that are going to be at the event," Scott said.
"We have a stein-hoisting challenge, that'll be a lot of fun. The little steins that you get when you come into the door to taste everything, we're going to do a water relay with those little steins, and we've also got a pretzel-eating contest to close out all the contests. So we're really excited about that," he said.
The pretzel-eating contest will have a different "twist" to it due to the difficulty in procuring soft pretzels.
"Due to COVID still, it's really hard to get the soft pretzels," Scott said. "And we weren't going to do it, and then we decided, 'You know what would be funny? Let's have them eat Rold Golds.' So we're literally going to fill beer buckets up with Rold Gold pretzels, and see who can eat the most. The winner of each contest gets $100. I think it'll be fun to watch and fun for the contestants."
In addition to the contests and the variety of beers available, there will be live music by The Big Dam Horns.
"We're super excited about having Big Dam Horns," Scott said. "Big Dam Horns is -- I don't want to say they're a local group, but I actually have a personal connection with them. I was in band at Henderson State (University) with most of the folks that are in it, and if you haven't seen them, they are incredible.
"And so with it being in the parking garage, we've been working with our sound company and stage company to see how that's gonna go, but they will definitely fill it up. And everyone will have a blast. I talked to the band leader last week, and he said, 'We've been learning some German songs, so get ready.'"
As the past president of the board of the United Way of the Ouachitas, Scott knows how much the organization does for people in and around Hot Springs and Garland County.
"The United Way affects every organization in town," he said. "It's not just the Jackson House. It's not just OCC (Ouachita Children's Center); it's everyone in the community. I mean, during COVID ... the United Way was the one supplying all the food boxes, all of the money for rent, all these things."
In a city that enjoys getting together to celebrate, Scott hopes this will be able to help the United Way.
"I mean, Hot Springs loves to party, so let's throw another party, and (have) it benefits the community in that way," he said. "I mean, that's the ultimate goal. ... Anything that we can do to throw another party for Hot Springs and let it go to the community, that's the goal."